Out of site. ¿It is wrong for Otellos to be dark skinned but it is all right if if it’s the russian soprano?

Armerjacquino

There’s not a blanket ban on Otellos blacking up, it’s just mercifully happening less and less. Same with Aida, although more slowly. So you’ll still, fairly often, see characters wearing makeup as both.

If you’re talking about Netrebko, why not just say her name, btw?

Yige Li

The “answer” is that because the director who made the decision is Iranian, not white--if you insist the reason lies at the nationality of someone.

Meanwhile, if it’s OK to give the Scottish Lucia a red wig, why it is not OK to dark skinned the Moorish Otello or the Ethiopian Aida? Similarly, red hair is an option not a must for a Lucia on stage, so should be dark skin for Otello and Aida.

No need to give me the lecture of the dark history of “blak-face”. First, anyone with right eyesight and brain can tell dark skinned make-up on opera stage is different to the “balck-face”. Second, if anything has been used in a negative way should be banned regardless of its original intention, then we can talk about Wagner’s work first.

Armerjacquino

As I implied but should have overtly stated above, I really don’t think the word ‘banned’ is useful here. There is no ban on this anywhere. People choosing not to do something is not a ban.